Customer Reviews

Memories Chronicles & Declarations of Love

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A lot of excitement surrounded Marisa Monte's new release,"Memórias, Cronicas e Declarações de Amor", since it had been five years since her last studio album, "Rose and Charcoal" (Her most recent one, "A Great Noise", was a live collection of previous hits).

After all, Marisa Monte is one of the rare musical unanimities in Brazil. Everyone admires her work, regardless of class or education. She is as "pop" as she is "cult", and most agree that she is one of Brazil's best female voices.

Whilst listening to the CD, one notices that Marisa is gradually consolidating her own style, leaving the musical mixture of her early career well behind her.

Such consolidation no doubt benefits the singer, but it leaves to the listener a feeling of déja-vu. Many of the songs, unfortunately, sound too much alike.

The concept of the album, as its Portuguese title suggests (Memories, Chronicles and Love Stories), is love, and happiness, sadness and bliss that are an integral part of love are present on every track.

The opening song, "Amor I Love You", which is tirelessly playing on the radio here, sums up well the idea of the album. Its concept is even more evident as Arnaldo Antunes ( a frequent collaborator of Monte's) reads a passage from "The Yellow Sofa", the anti-Victorian masterpiece by 19th Century Portuguese novelist Eça de Queiroz:

"... tinha suspirado, tinha beijado o papel devotamente! Era a primeira vez que lhe escreviam aquelas sentimentalidades, e o seu orgulho dilatava-se ao calor amoroso que saía delas, como um corpo ressequido que se estira num banho tépido; sentia um acréscimo de estima por si mesma, e parecia-lhe que entrava enfim numa existência superiormente interessante, onde cada passo conduzia a um êxtase, e a alma se cobria de um luxo radioso de sensações! "

"... she had sighed, and had kissed the paper devotedly! It was the first time that such feelings had been put on paper for her, and her pride grew to the loving heat that came from those words, like a dried body that lies itself in a tepid bath; she felt a growth of esteem for herself, and it seemed to her that she had at last entered a superior, interesting existence, where each pace led to an ecstasy, as if the soul was covered by a fantastic luxury of sensations! (my translation)"

"Amor I Love You" is actually one of the album's greatest moments. Other very interesting tracks are "Para Ver As Meninas"(To See The Girls), by Paulinho da Viola "Cinco Minutos" (Five Minutes) by Jorge Benjor and "Sou Seu Sabiá" (I'm Your Hummingbird), by Caetano Veloso.

In this writer's opinion, the best track is, without a doubt the bossa-nova styled "Gotas de Luar" (Drops of Moonlight), a standard by Nelson Cavaquinho and Guilherme Brito. Its simplicity opposes to the rest of the album's sophistication.

The remaining tracks, which were mostly co-written with Carlinhos Brown, Arnaldo Antunes and Lucas Santtana are very interesting, but as I wrote earlier they are sometimes repetitive, specially "Não Vá Embora (Don't Go Away)" and "Não é Fácil (It's Not Easy)". One sometimes wonders, by their similarities, if someone has tampered with the CD-Player.

However short, the album is great listening pleasure. the co-producer, Arto Lindsay , gave a lot of importance to the instruments, which is a rare attitude in albums by vocalists.

The inlay has all the lyrics and the guitar chords, plus pictures of things of Marisa's everyday life, such as books, CDs and the like.

In Brazil, an enlarged hardcover version of the inlay was also released in bookstores. I am not aware of its release outside the country, but never mind it, unless the reader is a collector of Marisa Monte merchandise.

In conclusion, the album is worth the price, despite of its weak moments. A good wine is an appropriate accompaniment to its listening

I challenge anyone to name another female singer anywhere with as beautiful a voice as Marisa's. This CD isn't the pop masterpiece of Rose & Charcoal, but fits quietly between that CD and her latest project "Tribalistas", which is another pop masterpiece. "Memories" is influenced by ELO, McCartney, George Harrison, but also has echoes of Miles Davis/Gil Evans. It's a real sleeper, and is guaranteed to grow on you. Well worth getting if you like Marisa's other work.

Well, I finally received this CD. I wouldn't say I was disappointed, but I will also say I'm not surprised that she still hasn't surpassed the perfection that is "Rose & Charcoal". The songs on this CD, although good, are not as strong as the songs on "Rose" (or even "Barulhinho Bom")--which is surprising, considering people such as Carlinhos Brown contributed. The production is very nice, and the playing is up to par (although not as "native" as I would like). If you're already a Marisa Monte fan, this, of course, is a must-have and won't disappoint you. But if you want to discover the diva that is Marisa, start with "Rose & Charcoal".

Many of the seeds of the ethnomusical/sociopolitical phenomenon that is Tribalistas were sown on this CD, both in Marisa's collaborations with Carlinhos Brown and Arnaldo Antunes and the exploration of a sound which is simultaneously soft and vulnerable (sighing violins, delicately-entwined harmonies) and raw and jagged (crunchy guitars, feedback squeals, crashing percussion). The softer moments are in tender grooves like "Amor I love you," "Perdão você," the gently-lapping "Agua também é mar," and "O que me importa," the more gritty in "Não vá embora" and her jazzy interpretation of Jorge Ben's "Cinco minutos." Some pieces, like her version of Paulinho da Viola's "Para ver as meninas" (backed by Jaques Morelembaum's remarkable cello) and "Tema de amor," manage to combine the softness with the grit. It is when she strikes this balance, or when the arrangement is spare enough to let her voice predominate, as in "Abololo," Caetano Veloso's lovely "Sou seu sabiá," and the shimmering, guitar-caressed "Gotas de luar," that the brilliance of this CD is most apparent. There is no need to contemplate why she isn't a bigger star in North America. She's more than a mere "star," she's a songbird. Ela é o nosso sabiá!

OK, I ordered this CD after hearing a track from the album off of the album on Harry Shearer's Le Show (go to kcrw.org for more information on a show with some cool eclectic music plus great comedy). Anyway, as it's playing I'm flipping through the CD booklet and suddenly I realize that there's not just words there, there's also chords! Gotta wonder if her other CDs also do this.

And for those of you wondering about the music, it's a brazilian tinged pop, with (as near as I can decipher with my spanish abilities attempting to read portuguese) some cool lyrics. Listen to the sound clips to see if the style appeals to you.

This latest album by Brazil's top current female vocalist has its moments and is definitely worth buying, but it's not at the level of her previous efforts such as "Mais" and "Rose And Charcoal." There's too much of a bland pop sound here (sometimes with tepid Beatles influences) and a lack of the strong melodies and daring musical explorations that marked her earlier work. It might help Marisa to find new collaborators, rather than rely so heavily on the likes of Arto Lindsay and Arnaldo Antunes. Still, Marisa is Marisa and still deserves the accolades given to her in the musical guide "The Brazilian Sound," which writes that Marisa has "a voice that can be tender or precise, or slinky and sensuous" and that she is taking "the legacy of the MPB generation into the future."

a lot of my brazilian friends don't like her voice on this cd, but as an american who's brazilian at heart, i have to say i love this cd...especially songs 2 and 4. i've listened to it so much now my cd skips.

This cd was on my Christmas list about 2-3 years ago. I took a quick listen, and hated it. I can't believe it. Because now, this is by far, one of my favorite cds.
I revisted it early this year and couldn't believe my ears. It was so beautiful.
It is a nice mix of just Marisa, old school songs from Caetano and Jorge ben Jor and the new Os Tribalistas. If you look at the song credits, you will realize that about 3 of the songs are written by the new trio.
Listening to Sou Seu Sabia reminds me of hearing Caetano sing it live in concert. Listening to Cinco Minutos makes me dance and relive my Jorge Ben Jor concert experience. And who doesn't love Paulinho da Viola's samba classics?

Songs like Amor I love you and O que me importa remind me of being in love.

I love every song on this disc. Each song transports me to a special place.

Give it a change. If you have given it one and didn't like it, revisit it later, i'm sure it will change your mind the way it changed mine.

Once again, Marisa surprises us with her personal and intimate interpretation of Brazilian music. If you already know her previous records, you must have this one. And if you don't, it's a great opportunity to know a wonderfull voice and interpreter.

Marisa Monte is the real deal! one the most amazing records i have ever heard. a hauntingly beautiful record, drippiing with emotion and mood. i think i'm in love.